Nairobi, Jun 21 — Two people have been confirmed dead following a devastating fire that swept through Nairobi’s Gikomba Market early Sunday morning, destroying businesses and leaving thousands of traders counting losses.

📻 Breaking It Down

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed that the victims, an adult man and woman, had not yet been formally identified as emergency teams worked to notify their families.

“On behalf of the people of Nairobi, I extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones. We stand with you in this dark hour,” he said.

The Sunday morning inferno tore through sections of the country’s largest open-air market, consuming merchandise and structures belonging to traders who depend on the market for their livelihoods.

📌 What You Need to Know

Several people sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the scene from county ambulance personnel and the Kenya Red Cross. Four firefighters were also injured while battling the blaze.

Governor Sakaja praised emergency responders for their courage but condemned attacks on first responders during the operation.

“I must also express condemnation of the lawless, unprovoked attacks directed at first responders. A National Youth Service (NYS) fire engine was stoned and forcibly turned away by rowdy youth, severely disrupting early containment efforts.”

“Despite the hostility, our teams stood their ground. We deployed water bowsers from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC) to augment the water supply and completely contain the blaze,” Sakaja said.

A section of the affected traders narrated that the first county owned fire engine had arrived at the site at around 6:30am despite frantic calls being made from Saturday 11pm when the fire is reported to have broken out.

They further questioned the effectiveness of existing fire infrastructure, alleging that nearby fire response facilities was under-resourced during the incident.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya